It has become increasingly clear that Major League Baseball must protect its pitchers. On May 7, 2013, when Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ was struck in the base of the skull by a ferocious line drive that rocketed off of the bat of Tampa Bay outfielder Desmond Jennings, we were given a reminder about one of the genuinely dangerous aspects of playing baseball. Happ had essentially no time to react as a well-hit ball ricocheted off of the side of his head and bounded down the first base line and all the way into right field. He immediately collapsed and grabbed his head before being taken off the field on a stretcher. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ. It was a scary, sobering moment, but Happ was relatively lucky. While he did suffer a skull fracture and a laceration below his left ear, he is expected to make a full recovery. But other players haven’t been so lucky. In fact, Cleveland Indians outfielder Ray Chapman is the only major league player to have died directly follow...

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